2019 Avenius Chardonnay
Style
Classic Avenius Vineyard terroir notes: Calcareous and stony. While texturally dense, boney, and linear, the warm 2019 vintage toned down the typical nervousness and bracing acidity common in Avenius Chardonnay bottlings.
Food Pairings
Cold seafood, mild cheeses, pasta salads.
Vineyard
Avenius Vineyard is just 1 mile north of Linden Vineyards at 1,300 feet. This high elevation and a northeast slope contribute to bracing acidity and verve. Vines planted in 1996 on French Lyre training system.
Vintage
2019 was a very strong vintage, though yields were down as some varieties recovered from rainy 2018.
Bud break in late April was normal and consistent. A warm, wet May stimulated rapid shoot growth. Some vineyard blocks exhibited very uneven shoot development. An early bloom (late May through early June) was successful under ideal conditions (warm and sunny).
Late June was marked by a moderate hailstorm that bruised and damaged berries on the top/west side of the canopy. Most, but not all, of these berries shriveled and fell off. However there were still a significant number of compromised berries that would have the potential to present rot and uneven ripening issues later in the season.
July started a long, hot, dry period, which would last until harvest was over. There remained ample moisture in the ground, so vines did not slow their vegetative cycle until early August (right on time for véraison). A hot, dry August accelerated ripening.
An early harvest began on August 26 at our warmer Boisseau Vineyard. The crop was in excellent shape with good flavors. The only concern was with low acids caused by hot days and warm nights. This concern persisted throughout all of the white grape harvest. In some cases Chardonnay was picked on the early side to retain freshness. Avenius Chardonnay harvest was September 5, 2019.
Winemaking
Chilled grapes were sorted, pressed, juice settled, and then barrel fermented warm (70˚ F) in old, neutral French puncheons (500 liter size). No malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie in barrel for 10 months, then in tank (sur lie) for an additional 6 months. Bottled February 2021. 1,408 bottles produced. This wine will improve in the bottle for many years past vintage. Alcohol 12.8%.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2019 Vintage | 2019 Avenius Chardonnay